William Hague delivers a statement on Libya to the House of Commons. Photograph: PA

The government is providing "non-lethal equipment" such as telecommunications infrastructure to Libya's interim transitional council but is not providing arms, William Hague has told MPs.

In a statement to the Commons, updating developments in Africa and the Middle East and on Moussa Koussa's situation in Britain, the foreign secretary outlined progress in Libya and the implementation of UN security council resolution 1973.

He said it had prevented a "huge loss of life and a humanitarian catastrophe".

"A further British diplomatic mission has travelled to Benghazi, led by Christopher Prentice," Hague told the Commons. "As I explained to the house last week, we are not engaged in arming the opposition forces.

"We are prepared to supply non-lethal equipment which will help with the protection of civilian lives and the delivery of humanitarian aid."

Asked by the shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, whether opposition military forces had been in receipt of "any support from British military personnel in maintaining or upgrading the military equipment they already possess", Hague replied: "I am not are not aware of any such efforts to do so – the answer to that is no."

Hague appealed to members of Muammar Gaddafi's regime to abandon it, saying any leaving Libya for the UK would be treated with "respect and in accordance to our laws".

Sanctions could be lifted for those who broke "definitively" with the Gaddafi regime, he said, and discussions would begin in Europe this week about the restrictions on Koussa.

"Sanctions are designed to change behaviour, and it is therefore right that they are adjusted when new circumstances arise, " said Hague.

He reiterated that the former foreign minister Koussa, who defected to the UK last week, had not been granted immunity and would be encouraged to "co-operate fully" with the authorities investigating the Lockerbie bombing.

Foreign Office officials have been meeting the Crown Office and Dumfries and Galloway police to discuss the issue.

Hague said: "We will encourage Moussa Koussa to co-operate fully with all requests for interviews with law enforcement and investigation authorities, in relation both to Lockerbie as well as other issues stemming from Libya's past sponsorship of terrorism, and to seek legal representation where appropriate.

"As my right honourable friend the prime minister has made clear, these investigations are entirely independent of government – they should follow the evidence wherever it leads them, and the government will assist them in any way possible."

Hague said only a "genuine ceasefire" with a withdrawal of armed forces from contested cities would end the coalition's air strikes.

"The world is united in believing that the Gaddafi regime has lost all legitimacy and he must go, allowing the Libyan people to determine their own future," he told MPs.

He said 34 nations were involved in operations in Libya to support the UN security council resolution, with a total of 701 sorties and 276 strike sorties conducted since Thursday.

"The coalition has all but eliminated the regime's air defence capability and stopped it from bombarding Libyan cities from the air," he said.

"We are destroying key regime military assets including main battle tanks and mobile artillery. The arms embargo is being enforced. We have prevented a huge loss of life and a humanitarian catastrophe."

Hague also used his statement to update MPs on the heavy loss of life in Ivory Coast, with 462 deaths having been confirmed by the UN and up to 1 million people having been displaced.

France is leading planning to evacuate nationals of EU nations if it becomes necessary, he said, adding that Britain had sent a rapid deployment team to Paris "ready to be part of any evacuation".

He called for an end to violence in Ivory Coast, where Laurent Gbagbo continues to refuse to hand power to the internationally-recognised president, Alassane Ouattara, more than four months after an election defeat.

"We call for an end to the violence, for defeated former president Gbagbo to step down, for all human rights abuses to be investigated and for the international criminal court to investigate the crimes which appear to have taken place," he said.